Tent frame construction



2 June 22, 1937. E. s. EIDE 2,084,524

TENT FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 11, 1936 2 Sheets- Sheet l June 22, 1937. E. s. ElDE TENT FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. ll, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to frames for the support of canvas and like tents, the objects of the present invention being the provision of an improved construction of tent frame whereby the 5 use of center poles is eliminated, the frame is flexible to permit of expansion and contraction of the' tent, is portable and particularly easy to erect or dismantle, and is very sturdy for resisting gales.

With tents as used at present, the center pole or poles for the most part support the weight of the tent, but these have several disadvantages, the chief of which are occupation of some of the most useful tent space by the pole or poles and 15 the ineffective support of the tent in gales' due to such pole or poles creating a pivotal point or points when the tent tends to sway thereby causing the ground pegsto be drawn.

Broadly, the invention comprises specially shaped headpiece members adapted to receive the corner struts and ridge poles, means provided in said poles to permit of flexible variation of the length thereof and specially constructed corner posts adapted to receive the corner struts.

In describing the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an oblong tent constructed with my improved supporting means;

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating the method of erecting the tent;

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the ridge pole and its supporting heads together with the end struts;

Fig. '7 shows a longitudinal section through one of the supporting heads; 8

Fig. 8 shows a rear view of one of the heads;

Fig. 9 shows a detail view, partly in section, of one of the main posts together with one of the 40 end struts;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view taken on the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a view, partly in section, of a modified form of a supporting head used in a square tent requiring only one supporting head.

Considering the head piece I of Figs. 6, '7 and 8, it has two diagonal corner strut holes 3, a horizontal hole G, a lower vertical hole 5 and a spike 6 projecting upwardly from the head piece I.

With the head piece 2 of Fig. 11, four diagonal corner strut holes 3 are provided, this head piece 2 which is preferably of circular form, also having a spike 6 and lower vertical hole 5.

The struts 1 used in conjunction with head pieces I or 2 and the ridge pole 8 used with the former, are preferably of circular form and preferably of reduced diameter 9 at their ends, said struts and poles l and 8 respectively being constructed so as to be flexible in length by being formed of two pole sections in and H! (see Fig. 6) connected together by a ferrule l i which is rigidly secured to one section I0 and slidably fitted over the other section II! with a strong compression spring l2 being placed between the ends of sections In and i0 within ferrule II. 20

The corner posts 13 (see Fig. 9) are preferably of triangular cross section as shown in Fig. 10, said posts l3 having a hole l4 bored at the correct angle and of size to receive the ends 9 of struts 1, there being a guide groove l5 cut in the face l6 of the post to guide the strut end 9 into said hole M.

A spike ll, preferably of metal, fits into and projects from the top of post 13.

In use, the head pieces I or 2 are sewn or secured into the apex of the canvas or like tent in any suitable manner, there being two heads pieces l sewn into an oblong tent at the ridge ends and one head piece 2 at the apex of a square tent.

To erect the tent frame (and incidentally the tent) the first operation is to get the corner posts l3 set up and anchored with suitable guy ropes secured thereto on spikes ll and tightened; the usual side poles (not shown) which are located between the corner posts l3 to brace the same are provided in number according to the size of the tent being then set up and guy ropes secured.

At this stage the tent sides will be in place, but the tent top will be hanging down within the sides as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

To set up the tent top, one of the sides is turned up on top of the tent wall to afford access under the top and temporary raising poles I8 are inserted under the tent top into the vertical holes 5 of the heads I and then the top is raised to the position shown in Fig. 3. Then the struts 1 are fitted with their ends 9 within strut holes 3 (of the head piece or head pieces) and when the tent is of oblong form, a ridge pole 8 is fitted between the two headpieces I within their holes 4. 55

One of the struts 'l is then inserted into the hole M of one of the corner posts l3 and the oppositely disposed strut raised and inserted in its hole Id of another post I3.

The other two struts T are then fitted into their holes in their respective posts [3 and as the springs I2 will all be compressed slightly in such operation, the guide grooves H5 in posts l3 facilitate entering of the strut ends 9 into the holes The canvas or like tent is now fitted over the frame structure formed, and it will be obvious that the flexibility of the Struts 1 is secured due to the compression springs I2 therein; the said springs will permit of contraction of the tent when it gets wet and will take up the slack when dry.

The spike points 6 of the head pieces I or 2 and the spikes ii on the top of the corner posts It project through the canvas of the tent.

The spike points 6 apart from being ornamental serve a useful purpose if a fiy is applied over the tent in that they would keep said fly clear of said tent.

With particularly large tents, it will be obvious that there may be numerous side poles between the corner posts l3 and there may also bevpoles horizontally connecting the tops of said corner posts.

With such large tents, the vertical holes 5 in the head pieces 9 or 2 serve a useful purpose in assisting the quick erection of a heavy tent in that temporary vertical poles may be fitted, until the struts "I have been put into place.

I claim:

1. An improved tent construction, comprising a fabric tent member, a head piece secured into the apex point of said fabric tent memher and formed with radial extensions each being provided with an inclined radial hole, anchored corner posts mounted at the corners of the tent body each also being provided with an inclined hole, and strut connecting members extending from said head piece to each of the poles and formed with reduced end portions to'fit the inclined holes in the head piece and anchored posts. I

2. An improved tent construction, comprising a fabric tent member, a head piece secured into the apex point of said fabric tent member and formed with radial extensions each being provided with an inclined radial hole, anchored corner posts mounted at the corners of the tent body each also being provided with an inclined hole, and strut connecting members extending from said head piece to each of the poles and formed with reduced end portions to fit the inclined holes in the head piece and anchored posts, each of said strut members being provided with an extensible joint intermediate its ends, to permit contraction and expansion.

3. An improved tent construction, comprising a fabric tent member, a head piece having an upwardly extending spike which extends through the roof of the tent proper and secured into the apex point of said fabric tent member and formed with radial extensions each being provided with an inclined radial hole, anchored corner posts mounted at the corners of the tent body each also being provided with an inclined hole, and strut connecting members extending from said head piece to each of the poles and formed with reduced end portions to fit the inclined holes in the'head piece and anchored posts.

4. An improved tent construction, comprising a fabric tent member, a pair of head pieces each having an upwardly extending spike which extends through the roof of the tent proper at each end of the ridge portion and secured therein, each head piece being formed with downwardly and outwardly inclined extensions provided with downward holes and also an inwardly lateral extension also provided with a horizontal hole, anchored corner posts mounted in the ground at the corners of the tent body and each being provided with an inclined hole adjacent its upper end and in alinement with the inclined holes in the head pieces, a ridge pole connecting the two head pieces and having its ends fitted into said horizontal holes of the head pieces, and strut connecting members connecting the head pieces and said anchored posts, the ends of said struts being fitted in the inclined holes of said posts and head pieces, said anchored posts being provided with upwardly extending spikes which pass through the edges of the tent proper to positively fix the position of the tent body relative to the posts.

5. An improved tent construction, comprising a fabric tent member, a pair of head pieces each having an upwardly extending spike which extends through the roof ofthe tent proper at each end of the ridge portion and secured therein, each head piece being formed with downwardly and outwardly inclined extensions pro vided with downward holes and also an inwardly lateral extension also provided with a horizontal hole, anchored corner posts mounted in the ground at the corners of the tent body and each being provided with an inclined hole adjacent its upper end and in alinement with the inclined holes in the head pieces, a ridge pole connecting the two head pieces and having its ends fitted into said horizontal holes of the head pieces, and strut connecting members connecting the head pieces and said anchored posts, the ends of said struts being fitted in the inclined holes of said posts and head pieces each of said'struts and the ridge pole having an extensible joint intermediate its ends and said anchored posts being provided with upwardly extending spikes which pass through the edges of the tent proper to positively fix the position of the tent body relative to the posts.

6. In a tent structure, a head piece formed "with an upwardly extended spike, and extensions having holes for supporting the ends of connecting struts and a ridge pole, and a vertical extension provided with a vertical hole therein adapted to receive the end of a temporary raising pole for lifting and temporarily supporting the head piece and the tent attached thereto while other connecting members are secured in position. I

EDGAR STANLEY EIDE. 

